For the Title of
by laconic edge
Summary: When a young girl encourages Usopp to test his skills in the most famous sniper competition in the world, he finds there might be a hefty price for the title of King. Possible SanUso in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_"One rule of competition is knowing there will always be someone better than you out there."_

_---------  
_

It had become routine and something of a ritual. After docking at islands reeking of adventure or fun – i.e. all of them – the crew would gather together and see who'd be stuck with the honorary job of making sure Luffy didn't destroy the island somehow.

Thus when Robin spoke of a yearly festival the locals were celebrating, everyone drew straws to volunteer the babysitter.

This time's winner had been Zoro, so naturally the remainder drew straws to see who would babysit _him_.

Usopp was still surprised the ship hadn't gone up in flames when Nami drew the shortest. All he had needed to see was the homicidal glint in her eyes before he took off running for some assuredly brave errand. He would've offered himself in her place, of course – he could man up and admit she babysat everyone except Robin on a daily basis - but inspiration struck at the last second, and he decided Sanji needed more help with shopping than Nami did with keeping two of the most dangerous men on the seas from making something explode.

It was because that poor bastard had amazing leg strength but noodle arms, Usopp swore up and down to his invisible audience with a reassuring nod. He couldn't be expected to hold up more than two bags at a time. And who _knew_ what Luffy would do if he returned to the ship with one less bag of meat? The island might sink! A dangerous mission in need of his expertise, that's what this was.

Thus it was necessary for him to surf through the crowds in search of curly-browed cooks; it being his duty to his loyal followers, and the Great Captain Usopp _never_ ran away from the call of duty.

He just hadn't factored in that sense of 'duty' taking a backseat as he mulled over whether or not to monopolize the dart booth he'd stumbled near. In his defense, he hadn't seen Sanji anywhere yet, which was quite a feat seeing as there weren't many places to explore. Even Zoro would have trouble getting lost.

His steps slowed the closer he got to the stand and shuffled in indecision. Besides taking on the noble task of ensuring their cook got back to the ship, there wasn't much for him to do. The island was wonderfully small, and the games and booths set up looked more like an excuse to goof off than to celebrate something. They'd gotten the short end of the stick in the adventure department this time… which was fine with Usopp. Dull festivals he could handle. It was Marines, monsters, blood-thirsty pirates and dying he was allergic to.

Though if he was going to be honest, the lack of urgency and danger was pretty… off-putting. And just plain _weird_. After spending weeks on end being chased by what felt like the entire world, having storms try to tear Sunny apart, and being stuck on the same ship with crewmates of questionable sanity, a break from the madness made him so nervous that Usopp wanted to save himself the trouble and combust on the spot. The sniper glanced around, uneasy all of the sudden, and his knees began to knock together.

Damn it, why couldn't he enjoy a boring island?! It was like he needed a constant menace around so he could be right when something exploded.

"C-calm down, Usopp! It's just an island!" Deeeeeep breaths. There was nothing to be nervous about! Men like himself did not overre--

The dress shoe lightly smacking him in the head did not result in an unmanly shriek of terror, thank you very much; it sounded more like a testosterone-fueled yell of fury, Usopp decided. He still gave Sanji a sharp whack on the head regardless, even if that didn't faze the cook at all. The jerk.

"What did you do that for?!" The sentence choked off into a coughing fit when the asshole promptly blew smoke into his face.

"That was for Nami-san," Sanji said smartly, and shifted around the bags of groceries in his hands. "Don't think I didn't figure you'd taken off and left her with the damn Marimo and captain."

"You didn't help her either!"

"_I_ was shopping for you ungrateful bastards as per a lady's request." A fact he seemed to be lamenting, if the depressed sigh was any indicator. "Aaah, my poor Nami-san and Robin-chan! Left alone with you shitfaces! I'll have to make them something extra special to make up for my lack of… eh?" Sanji blinked curiously over the top of Usopp's head; he'd spotted the game booth. "Gonna try it, Longnose?"

"Well, you didn't have to sneak up on me. My heart could've given out!" he grumbled, and shot daggers when it was clear the slightly older man wasn't paying attention to his peril. Sanji's eyes were too busy being glued to the booth near them. "And I dunno. Maybe." His irritation simmered off, and he too found himself eying the game now that it was the new topic of conversation.

It looked pretty simple. The standard hit-as-many-colored-balloons-as-humanly-possible. So easy that Usopp sniffed and threw his nose in the air; on second thought, he wasn't _that_ bored yet. "A warrior such as I has no time for fun and games! We require real challenges!" Liking finding stupid cooks, but it looked like that job had been finished for him.

"Hmm." The cigarette bounced thoughtfully on Sanji's lower lip. "And you get a prize if you hit enough, right?" His one visible eye gleamed.

It was then Usopp noticed Sanji wasn't looking at the booth so much as the prizes guarded carefully behind the counter, and his enthusiasm suddenly made sense.

"_You're_ gonna try it?" The glare he'd got for his troubles said that he hadn't quite wiped the skepticism from his voice. But it wasn't like he'd seen Sanji attempt anything that required aiming, and kicking people in the face did not count.

"Of course I am!" Groceries were muscled into his arms before Sanji whirled off, leaving Usopp to dodge the incoming barrage of pink hearts. "My lovely Nami-san and Robin-chwan deserve a prize!"

... He was amazing, this guy, Usopp reflected, and wondered if he was he capable of thinking of anything else. Well, besides cooking. Otherwise there were few men he knew who took after their obsessions with such gusto. "Sanji. Somehow, I doubt they're gonna care much for a stuffed animal…" His warrior's wisdom once again went ignored, no surprises there, and Usopp resigned himself to following the chef like he'd set out to do in the first place. Besides, he _was_ curious. Everyone else had attempted to best Usopp's Dartboard of Terror™ at one point or another, with mixed results.

Chopper, Nami, and Robin could manage okay, at least getting near the bulls-eye, Franky and Zoro tended to destroy both the darts and the board with their Ouch Finger and Three Dart Style, and Luffy was no longer allowed to play, as he was more concerned with watching the darts whiz through the air than what he ended up hitting. Usopp's bruises could attest to that.

Sanji, on the other hand, had always been busy fixing a meal, so never got a chance to try. Usopp's personal opinion was the cook could keep damage to a minimum if he stayed in a good mood, and provided that no one poked fun at his eyebrow. Otherwise he would ascend to the level of demon and decimate everything in his path.

"Have you tried darts before?"

"Nope." The smirk Sanji tossed at him was all casual confidence, and Usopp started to think this was the explosion he'd been foreshadowing. "In the name of love, skill's not a requirement." At the disgusted groan, he waved a menacing foot in the longnose's direction until he wisely shut up.

Just by watching the man pay for his turns and pick up a bunch of darts from a cup, Usopp could immediately tell Sanji, for all his bravado, would snag at least a medium-sized prize. Just like in the heat of battle, his motions were cocky, controlled, and graceful, as if he were the main event performing on stage. The arm gestures might've been a little on the extravagant side, and Sanji tended to lift his feet when legwork had nothing to do with this, but the darts listened to his hands and flew close to their marks. By the time he was done, a small crowd had gathered to watch him take out more than half the board. Rookie's first luck and all.

"Heh. No problem." Sanji grinned over his shoulder, looking more than a little pleased with his handiwork. "Maybe I should take your job, Longnose."

That grin of pride that _might've_ been forming on his face soured into a scoff. "Don't even joke about that!" He jabbed a finger at the balloons. "You couldn't even clear the board! Imagine if those were Marines!"

"Then you'd be hiding in the crow's nest while I kicked the rest overboard."

Well, yeah, but… "Way to miss the point!"

Another breath of smoke was exhaled. Usopp swore it must've been his honed warrior senses tingling – that or he spent way too much time around the cook – because he already knew what was coming next. "Well then, show us how it's done, _Captain_ Usopp." Sanji jerked his head to the balloons in challenge. "If you hit them all, I might even make you a special dessert later."

Oh _ho_.

For one of the few times in his life, the long-nosed sniper didn't need to think about his plan of action. He elbowed Sanji and his prize over – a pink polka-dotted elephant that Usopp knew for sure was gonna get sold at the next island once Nami got her hands on it – and snatched up a handful of darts, smirk so large it was almost falling off his face.

_This_ was the stuff legends were made of. A battle that would go down in history. They'd speak of his grandeur and presence for years, how the Great Captain Usopp stared down his opponents – all ninet—no, one hundred of them! – until they quaked from his penetrating gaze, a whisper of a wind hushing the crowd of spectators as they witnessed a miracle sent from the seas. His arm readied, eyes narrowed in concentration, breath held. The world of speechless onlookers melted into the background, so quiet you could hear a fly --

"Oi. Usopp. Sometime when I'm still young."

Sanji was no fun at all.

The board had been set up by the time he snapped himself out of his monologue, all the balloons back in place. He didn't need any time to steady himself; the motions came as natural as weaving his stories did. One by one the air-filled balls exploded in a steady shower of rubbery entrails – _pop pop pop_ - until the final one remained. The demon-overlord balloon stared back at him, pleading for mercy – it wouldn't try anything again, no sir! - but unfortunately for it, luck had decided to side with the Great Usopp!

With a flourish he sent his last dart zooming at speeds over 20 knots for the kill. _Kaboow_! Instant KO. The balloon sagged to the floor, defeated and broken, the last in a line of evil wrong-doers. A cheer of relief erupted through all the liberated islands, and they sang his name in joy! _Horraaaaay for Captain Usopp~ Oh Captain Usopp! The mightiest warri--_

It took Usopp a beat to realize the ringing of applause wasn't from one of his internal, adoring audiences. The crowd that had gathered for Sanji had doubled in size, and they clapped enthusiastically at his accomplishment. His mouth flapped uselessly, not used to actually being _praised_ until he remembered who they were clapping for, and struck a pose in victory, brazen laugh filling the air. Well, it wasn't so strange when he thought about it. _They've just been awed by my warrior's skill!_

He was really starting to like this island. His danger sensors had obviously been on the fritz.

Sanji, instead of looking humbled or defeated, just chuckled and nodded over the counter. "Claim your prize, King of Snipers. And let's head back to the ship."

"Haha, you sure he deserves that title yet?"

That… hadn't come from his mouth. Or Sanji's. Or even the man running the booth. Usopp's triumphant laugh froze in his throat, eyes swiveling around so he could set the owner of the voice on fire for doubting his greatness.

His gaze finally settled on a wide, grinning face in the crowd that readily reminded him of Luffy. Except Usopp could guarantee his captain was male, even when he'd gotten a hold of two melons and Nami's bra. _This_ grin was connected to a pair of natural curves and wavy brown hair, a dusting of light freckles and candy-green eyes. She continued to smile as though she hadn't just challenged a man's pride, and Usopp couldn't come up with a proper reaction besides internalized indignation.

His fellow nakama was having no such trouble. Beside him, Sanji responded appropriately.

"Aaah~! What a lovely lady to grace us with her presence!"

To her credit – and Usopp's snickering amusement – she ignored the cook's advances and kept her eyes trained on him. "You're pretty good with darts," she emphasized with a gesture of her hand. "Is it a skill or a hobby to you?"

By now he'd gained his second wind and quickly changed his pose, giving his chin a theatrical rub. "Ah, I guess you wouldn't recognize this face," he bellowed lowly with mock disappointment, chest puffed out. "Then again, not many who see this face ever get a chance to tell the tale!" From behind them, the crowd oooed appropriately; he _really _liked this island. "They called me the Devil's Slingshot back in East Blue. I have more than 8,000 devoted followers ready to snipe at my comma—aaaah! Sanji! Would you stop kicking me?!"

"As if she's gonna believe that!" Sanji lowered his foot, puffed out smoke and pointed. "See? She's even laughing at your stupidity." And lo and behold, the girl was indeed biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Usopp deflated on the spot.

"Uh. It'd make a good story," she suggested kindly when she noticed her reaction hadn't been welcoming. "Not many people can sound that believable, yeah?"

Before Usopp could answer that it was totally the truth, he could even recite all of his follower's names, Sanji beat him to the punch and waved the sniper away like he was a bad stench. "Neh, you don't have to boost his ego! That's not even one of his good stories." Usopp twitched.

"Oi. Sanji. I'm still here, asshole!" The guy was getting cockroaches in his bed until the next island, pain of death be damned.

This time she didn't bother holding in her amusement and laughed openly at their argument. At least someone was enjoying it. "You two are like a married couple." It sent both men sputtering in denial. "And I'll just take your word for it, sir." With that, she walked until she stood in front of the booth, where a new set of balloons had already been put up for the next customer. "But it sounds like this isn't just a hobby for you – Usopp, right?" With a delicate touch, she began picking up a set of darts, placing each one in-between her fingers. "It's been a long time since I've found anyone as good at you with a dart, to be honest." Both hands full, she crossed them against her chest. "You shouldn't let talent like that be wasted on a dart board."

Warning bells went off as he watched her stance, causing him to nervously shift in place. A strange reaction for him, as from his professional point of view, she wasn't gonna hit the board much less a balloon looking like that. But… that feeling made a comeback – the one that only crept up his spine when he was in the company of dangerous people sans his crew, and if he didn't do the smart thing and run, he'd be regretting it soon.

He barely saw her arms move, it seeming more like she just flicked them gently in front of her, but he definitely picked up the end result. All the balloons popped at the same time despite six darts being thrown, and the wooden board groaned in pain before cracking under stress. It stood still, whined once more, and then crashed to the ground to join all the mouths that had flown open in shock. Even Sanji was oddly silent beside him, one visible eye darting quickly between the destroyed board and the grinning girl.

Usopp's teeth chattered and his legs buckled because he was pretty sure this counted as that explosion he'd been fearing.

"So. Usopp!" The woman clapped invisible dust off her hands and turned to face him, arms folding and the devil's grin on her lips.

"How badly would you like to be King?"

* * *

**A/N:** This idea wouldn't leave me alone, so obviously I need to drop everything and appease this beast of a fic. Also, I realize there's another fic that focuses on Usopp and sniper tournaments and stuff floating out there. I'm purposely not reading that one so it doesn't accidentally color my own story, though it looks awesome. D: Just a note, so no one thinks I'm trying to copy ideas here. Then again, what on ffnet is actually original? XD

And yes, there will be OCs in this story. There's no way the story would exist without them, so if you hate OCs that much, the back button is your friend. I do promise that no OCs will be paired with the characters, and that I'll do my best to make them dynamic and acceptable. If it feels like I'm slipping into Mary Sue territory, I'm of course willing to listen to concrit.

... And one last thing. I really like Sanji/Usopp as a pairing. As of now, not 100% sure if that's going to happen or if I'll bother with any pairings at all. It really depends on how the story leads itself, if that makes sense. I do whatever feels natural to me. Still, a heads up because I know that's not a widely liked pairing. No point in leading readers on since the usual nakamaships will be teasing you.

R&R plz. I would love comments on characterization. It's been a long time since I've tried my hand at Usopp. Or... any of them.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Motivation leads to success. It can also lead to a friendship, if you're lucky."_

_---------_

"Holy crap, this ship is huge!"

It was the third time Amber had said it, each proclamation growing in awe and admiration the more she saw of Sunny. They'd come back from the women's quarters, and Franky didn't bother to hide the father-like smirk of pride as he gave her the full tour.

"Heheh, that's right, girly! Just wait until you see the aquarium!"

Whatever crewmates listening in could practically hear Amber sparkle in delight. "You guys have an aquarium?! Who _built_ this thing?"

"Ha, now Franky's never gonna shut up." A blond head poked out of the galley's storage room, followed by the rest of him holding up a box of potatoes and a smaller one filled with mushrooms. All disgruntled noises the long-nose made were pointedly ignored. "At least Amber-chan is enjoying herself." He kept the silly grin on his face as he started on the meal, practiced hands reducing the vegetables into a diced array. "She looks so cute when she's excited!"

When made clear that Sanji had no intentions of putting the dreaded mushrooms away, regardless of the number of weird faces directed at his back, Usopp gave up the battle early and turned to his work. He wasn't in the mood for the Mushroom Argument anyway. His hands instead busied themselves with mixing the different types of gunpowder he'd bought from the island, and offered a reluctant hum of agreement as an afterthought to the cook's statement; mostly to keep Sanji off his back. Half his thoughts were on their guest, sure, but for far less chivalrous reasons.

_I've never seen anyone that good before…_ Not surprising when the people he travelled with favored knocking enemies out with shoes, swords, hooves, weather reports, cola punches, flowery limbs and rubber fists. Their long list of still-growing enemies didn't fit the sniper description either. Maybe Lucci with his flaming fingernails of doom counted, but that guy had been a concentrated body of crazy straight out of a nightmare, and Usopp didn't want to jinx himself by summoning him.

So that meant this had to be the first _real_ run-in with someone in the same field of expertise as him, and frankly, it made him vaguely uncomfortable. She was good – really, really freaking demonic good – yet had been complimenting his skills all the way to the Sunny. Only because Sanji had done that _looming_ thing, where he would walk right behind him and practically ask for a reason to kick him in the head, had kept Usopp's sarcastic replies at bay.

_Damn it, was she making fun of me? _It wouldn't be the first time someone poked fun at his expense; his friends did on a daily basis. But there was a huge difference between them and some random chick Sanji had invited back for dinner without asking _anyone else's permission_. She could've been a Marine in disguise for all they knew! Or just any one of the number of people after their bounties. Using the excuse "She's too cute to be a Marine," was some of the faultiest logic he'd ever heard. He did not get that guy.

A thick sigh escaped under his breath while he measured the gunpowder. This all bugged him more than he cared to admit. Usopp could lie, play up his skills, speak of 8,000 followers ready to jump at his word, but sniping was something he actually _excelled_ at, a fact he could be rightfully proud of. It defined his place in the crew. Without it, he really would be the useless sidekick who happened to be able to draw more than stick figures.

"Your face is gonna stick like that, Longnose."

"WHAT?" Only the silent promise of a cracked skull kept Usopp from sending a Tabasco Star flying in retaliation, and even then just barely. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME UGLY, ASSHOLE?"

Sanji didn't turn around; actually, the sniper wondered if he'd turned to look at his face in the first place or had just used intuition. "Not what I said. But if you brood over that gunpowder any longer it might explode in your face."

"Jerk." It was a half-hearted jab at best, and Usopp lost the will to make a decent comeback. His fingers tinkered with his concoction a second longer before he pushed it away in a huff, frown still steady on his face. Concentration was beyond him at the moment. "… Neh, Sanji…" When the chef gave a grunt of affirmation, he continued tentatively. "Do you think that Amber girl--"

"That's _Miss_ Amber-chan to you," Sanji growled out.

Yeah, Sanji was definitely getting a bed-full of beetles. The concussion would be worth it. "Fine! Do you think _Miss_ Amber is…" The last words caught up in his throat, refusing to be squeezed through. "Uh, is--"

"She wasn't the only one to clear the board."

Usopp choked and shut his mouth closed in a hurry, hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt. And here he thought he'd gotten used to Sanji being so scarily perspective.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice, Usopp," Sanji continued quietly, diligently slicing the evil mushrooms. "What she did."

"Huh? What she…" If he meant her destroying the board as well as the balloons with children's _darts_, oh, he'd had definitely noticed that. But with his interest now engaged, he watched the cook's back carefully in quizzical silence.

"He means I didn't aim." The sniper's head swerved to the entrance of the kitchen, where the topic of their discussion was being led in by frazzled Nami holding her daily newspaper. Amber met Usopp's eyes and grinned sheepishly. "If we're going off actual accuracy, you beat me."

"Awaaaah! Nami-saaaaaaan!" Anything Usopp might've said was drowned out by Sanji's predictable glee-filled spin through the room. "You've returned! My apologies for making you suffer through the shithead's company alone!"

"Don't even remind me." The woman seemed to be sporting a headache, woefully rubbing her temple in vain. She seated herself at the table with a huff, legs crossed and looking pissy. "Jeez, Luffy almost brought down the local restaurant and I _still_ had to pay for his meal! He's not getting allowance for a month."

Usopp regarded this with an owlish blink. "Wasn't Zoro supposed to watch him?" Not that having the swordsman around curbed their captain's tendency to eat everything that couldn't move out of his way fast enough, but his glower might've gotten the restaurant to wave the check.

At the question, Nami violently snapped open her newspaper, and Usopp kept his eyes on the door just in case he needed a clear shot to freedom. "I found the dumbass on the other side of the island! He kept asking why we'd moved Sunny when he wasn't looking!" The rest of the room's inhabitants could almost see the Thunder Tempo emerging from overhead. "I swear he could somehow lose his way to another island!"

Amber had by now sensed the impending danger, and shifted uneasily near the long-nose, torn between sitting and fleeing for safety. "Uh… I could just find another ship to board. If it's too much trouble."

"Of course it's no trouble!"

"You're welcome to stay here, Amber-chan!"

Both Nami and Sanji had answered at the same time. Enthusiastically, Usopp noted with suspicion. Not a big deal for the Ero-cook, but the sniper felt he'd overlooked a crucial detail if Nami had no problems taking on a guest - especially for free. Not to mention her bad mood had completely evaporated, too. "Uh, Nami, why are you so excited?"

That thousand-watt grin lighting up her face made him regret asking. The strange beri signs her eyes were making didn't help matters, either. "She offered to pay her way to the next island, with _interest_, so she's welcome to stay as long as she likes. Besides," Nami finally turned her attention to her paper. "We could use some more estrogen on this ship."

"Aaaah, I love that part of Nami-san so much!"

Usopp face-faulted. _Sheesh, Nami's a sea-witch._

A rich laugh of amusement by his ear interrupted his thoughts. "Haha, that eager to get rid of me?" Now that it was clear she'd be staying a bit, their guest had taken a seat, staring at Usopp with that self-amused smile of hers. He fought not to fidget and frown back; the girl gave him goose bumps, and not that good kind. Maybe if she stopped grinning like he was the punch line of her favorite joke, he'd like her more. Or, y'know, didn't completely own his ass at dart boards. "Sorry if my trick upset you. I've been told that's not a good way to introduce myself."

Oh, yeah. She'd been saying something about a trick before the cook's hormones had interrupted her. Usopp's expression cleared long enough to ask, "That was a trick?" because he was definitely curious at this point. Sanji had hinted he'd noticed something strange about her attack, too.

"Yep." Amber rolled up one of the sleeves of her jacket, revealing a small shell device under her wrist that Usopp, to his shock, recognized immediately. "You saw I only had six darts, right? There's no way to hit one-hundred balloons with six darts, and I can't reduplicate them either." A finger flicked a button hidden on the end, and a soft humming noise caressed the air.

There was no doubt in his mind; that was a dial she had on her wrist. How she'd gotten her hands on something like that was anyone's guess, but its existence explained a few things. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, bending for a closer look, and only then he felt a sudden flash of wind blow against his cheek. "Neh? Air?"

His confusion resulted in a wider grin. She shook her fist in a teasing matter. "Get it? This thing provides that extra punch after I toss the darts."

One by one, the pieces clicked together, and he closed his eyes, impressed that she'd come up with the same system he had for the Kabuto. "… So what popped all those balloons was…"

"Yep. I had a lot more air stored in it than I thought, so it ended up destroying the board," she explained with another laugh, flicking the switch off and rolling her sleeve back up. "It emits pulses of air, and that propels whatever I'm throwing at high speeds." Her grin had turned excited and pleased. "Cool, huh?"

"I see, I see…" There was a pause, and then, "SO YOU CHEATED?"

Her nose wrinkled so hard the freckles on her cheeks looked ready to pop out. "That's a strong way to put it. I like to think of it as… an edge in battle."

"BUT YOU DIDN'T AIM AT ALL!" he snarled. His pride as a warrior had been on the line, damn it!

"I aimed in the general direction! And hey, don't look at me like that! It's not like I _can't_ aim." The device now hidden was given a fond pat. She also scooted away from Usopp for good measure. "You'll just need more than that if you wanna be King."

"Was that what you were mentioning before, Amber?" Nami commented, effectively ending Usopp's raging with a firm look; he wasn't allowed to bodily harm anyone willingly giving them money. "Something about a tournament for title of King."

"Yeah. This is my second year competing in the Sniper Trials. I survived two Hands last time, so here's hoping I last through them all."

"Hands…" the navigator echoed. "You mean matches?"

"There are six total," Amber said, holding up six figures to demonstrate the point. "The first two are battle royales that wipe out all but the top four competitors." Two of her fingers curled down. "After that, each person is pitted against a member of the Royal Flush – the Queen, Jack, Ace, and Joker - and a new court is made under the King of Snipers."

"… But there's no joker in a royal flush," Usopp muttered to himself, already having forgotten his previous anger.

"And isn't ace the highest in a poker hand instead of a king?" Nami mused.

"… Yeah, well. That's not the point," the brown-haired girl stressed, sighing. "Really bad poker references aside, the goal is to win your Hands and snatch up the title of King. It's the most famous sniper tournament in the Grand Line, so I'm surprised you guys haven't heard about it. _Any_ sniper with an ego goes to try out."

Usopp's skin prickled when all three of them turned to stare in his direction because he knew exactly where this would lead. "H-hey! Don't give me that! I'm not entering!" He wasn't stupid or deaf, and had distinctly heard the words 'wipe' and 'out' during Amber's explanation. Interesting though it sounded, Usopp knew one thing about all snipers: They were creative by nature, and by extension, dangerous. How else were they supposed to win against monsters in the Grand Line? "Wiping out" the competition could turn into a messy business indeed, a brutal free-for-all as some displayed just what could be treated as a projectile.

Their company wasn't ready to give in yet. "And why's that?" Amber's lip drew up in a pout. "Give me a good reason why you can't compete."

Sanji spoke up from the counter, his task of cutting up his vegetables now completed and the sliced pieces being tossed into a warm broth. "'He-Might-Piss-Himself' Disease," he explained, and deftly ignored all the irate smacks coming his way. "We still haven't found a cure for it."

"Jerk! It's 'I-Don't-Feel-Like-Dying' Disease!" Usopp howled, very affronted by the butchering of his signature sickness. "Get it right!"

The girl was momentarily shocked into speechlessness, and floundered for anything to sum up the circumstances. "…Oh." She scratched her cheek. "Well that's unfortunate." Judging by her expression, that was the best she'd be coming up with.

"You might as well give up, Amber." Nami, eyes flicking through the newspaper page by page, had instinctively tuned out Usopp's insistent declarations of illness and Sanji telling him to shove it. "I don't think there's anything that will make Usopp compete, short of a miracle." Another page turn. "We'll take you as far as the Sniper Isles."

"… Alright." Disappointment laced her words, and Usopp felt like he'd stabbed the poor girl in the back; which, if he were Sanji, might've made a bigger impact than it did, though he did settle for offering a sympathetic huff. The hand that had been making a track for her pocket stopped in defeat. "I guess the prize wasn't good incentive."

The room grew deadly quiet. Even the boiling water hushed. It took Amber a while to notice everyone in the kitchen had stopped to stare at their navigator. Who was practically leering at her.

"Prize?" Nami shoved the newspaper to the side and leaned forward eagerly. "Like a _monetary_ prize?"

"U-uh." Sensing as though she might have unleashed a monster – the frantic hand motions and babbling coming from Usopp said as much – Amber dug into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled advertisement. She smoothed it out on the table and pointed to the bold numbers that stretched from the top corner, all the way to the bottom. "There's a 100 million beri prize for the Queen, and the winner is declared King of Snipers, as well as taking home 300 million beri." Cautiously, she glanced up at looked at Nami. "I figured since you guys were pirates you already knew, but…"

The orange-haired woman snatched up the paper for a better look. Usopp realized, horrified, that her eyes were the shape of beri symbols again, and could've sworn he'd just heard a _chi-ching!_ echo through the kitchen, as damning a sound as Luffy's yells for adventure . "Oi! Nami! Think about this for a second! You can't expect me to get involv--"

"Of course, of course!" She cut him off at the pass and turned to Amber with glowing eyes. "Well, you know, we've got the best sniper in the world! It would be a crime if he didn't compete!"

"You think so, too?" Amber's own eyes started to glitter in excitement. "I'm so relieved!"

Usopp just gaped, fighting with his desire to smack them both into oblivion. "Are either of you listening to me?!"

Neither dignified him with a reply. They were both too busy grasping each other's hands and staring starry-eyed into their own little worlds, clearly not willing to discuss a compromi—What, why the hell was he thinking of compromising?! There wasn't any reason to stick his neck out on the line! If they needed money that badly, all they had to do was find some mean-ass pirates and steal _their_ treasure. Luffy and the rest could exercise, Nami could have her money, and he could enjoy not being _dead_.

N-not that he was terrified or anything. Far from it. The World Government had already declared him the King of Snipers, that's all, and far be it for him to question their judgment. Sogeking being the true possessor of that title was a technicality he could overlook.

"Neh, Nami-san..." The cook, who had been silent through the exchange, finally piped in. "Don't you think it's a little unfair to force Usopp into this?"

Another round of complete silence. They must've heard him wrong, surely. That's what he tried convincing himself, anyway, even as he gave Sanji thankful puppy-eyes. _Finally_! Someone on his side! "S-sanji--"

"I mean, you can't change a coward."

His eyes popped in rage. Oh, betrayed at the last second. "BASTARD. YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

"But Sanji!" A pout settled on Nami's lips, legs crisscrossed delicately, and she flattered her eyelashes a few times for good measure. "I thought you'd like a new lock for the fridge! Since Luffy managed to chew through the last one."

A visible fidget crawled down the cook's back, no doubt seconds away from caving. Still, he presented a brave face and held on. "Y-yes, well...."

Nami must've been impressed with his determination today. After watching her prey in mild surprise, she skipped the games and brought out the big guns. "And I could always use more lingerie…" she mused, tapping her bottom lip in thought.

It was like witnessing the decisive cannonball smash into a ship. Somehow, Sanji exploded backwards from the sheer force of his own nosebleed and hit the wall with an audible crunch, babbling in a lovesick haze. On the other side of the kitchen, Nami returned to her paper in triumph.

"… Are you guys always this lively?" Amber mumbled under her breath.

"Oh, this is normal for them," Usopp sighed in explanation, and dragged his gunpowder forward.

The war was by no means over despite Nami taking the win, but he might as well start working on some new ammo. By the time he finished, maybe he'd have more crew members on his side of the argument. Chopper was a shoe-in, though what protection he could offer against Nami's obsessive money-gains was questionable. Sanji had proved to be as useless as ever. Robin would just laugh and go along with it for her own amusement, especially if Luffy didn't have any objections. Which he wasn't going to. Not if there was a tournament to be had; the fact it was meant for snipers would only slightly dampen the boy's spirit.

_That leaves Zoro and Franky._ He had to somehow convince the two that the competition was not super, or just a bad idea in general, and Usopp admittedly had no idea how to go about that. The entire situation seemed more of a hassle than it needed to be.

Either way, they'd have to drag him there kicking and screaming. Warriors of the sea didn't go down without a fight.

"."

A loud, desperate moan erupted from out outside the galley, a familiar enough sound to the sniper, but it made the girl next to him jump. "The hell is that?" she hissed at him. Usopp refrained from commenting, thinking visual confirmation would cover more than anything he could say, and just pointed to the galley's door.

"Foooooooooooooooo_ooooooooooood_." The door burst open, and a pathetic face half-covered by a straw hat pouted at them all, feet scraping along the floor as he stumbled his way inside. The boy perked up long enough to greet their guest – "Oh, that's who Franky was talking about! Antler or something?" – before he slumped forward once more in a zombie-esque walk towards the counter. "."

And then their captain's face met the floor when Nami beat Sanji to the punch and gave him something to cry about. "Oi. Luffy! You already ate out half of that restaurant! How the hell can you still be hungry?"

Another whine as he sat up, rubbing the bulging bruise forming on his noggin. "Because I didn't get to eat the other half."

"WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT!"

"And it's Amber-chan! Not Antler!" Sanji placed the lid of the pot on with a decisive clunk. Luffy's entire face fell. "She's staying with us until the next island. If I catch you stealing her portions…" The cook paused, glowered, and then ground his foot down on the rubber hand trying to sneak past him. "Luffy. Don't think I won't throw you overboard."

"Sanji… _Hungrrrrryyyyyyyy_." A roar of irritation, and rubber limbs started to hit the walls.

"I said wait, damn it!"

"My, how lively. And we have a guest?" While the type of commotion was commonplace on the ship, Robin must've heard about Amber from Franky, as she looked far from surprised by the presence of another woman. The archeologist smiled simply and took a place at the table. "Your name's Amber, correct?"

Before she got a chance to answer, a tiny bundle of fur bounded into the room next, arms waving comically. Amber appeared to choke her on own tongue. "Everyone! I can't find Zoro!" Frantic, the animal turned to Nami, his stash of emergency bandages meant just for the swordsman in his hoof. "Did you see him at all?"

The navigator's bad mood came back with a vengeance, and came close to scaring the poor reindeer back out the door. "Leave him, Chopper. He probably got lost on Sunny somewhere."

"But his injuries!" For all his cute worry, their doctor appeared ready to have a fit. "He's never gonna get better if he keeps aggravating the wounds!"

The room shook slightly as Sanji finally dislodged Luffy from his leg and into a wall again. "I'll knock him out for you the next time we find him," he promised. "Shithead won't move for a week when I'm done."

Their youngest crew member looked relieved, only to double-take when the meaning set in. "I DON'T WANT HIM TO HAVE A CONCUSSION!"

"Don't worry about it, Chopper. The curly-browed pansy couldn't hit me anyway." Right on cue, a foot and a sheath clashed violently together before Zoro shook it off and made his way to his seat, paying no mind to either Nami or Sanji's glares. "Eh?" The gaping girl watching them all in a mixture of awe and horror was a new addition. He eyed her curiously. "Who's the new girl?" Since Luffy wasn't screaming about a new crewmate, he wondered if she'd gotten lost.

"It's Amber-chan, you shitty Marimo!" Sanji growled, put out that his foot hadn't connected with bone. "She's our guest, so try and prove me wrong by showing you do have manners!" His jab only elicited a grunt of apathy, and the cook's brows wiggled in irritation. "Why are you even in here? Go take a nap somewhere and stop giving Chopper a heart-attack!"

"They probably heard Luffy screaming about food and thought dinner was ready," Usopp explained, not really paying attention to the commotion. It was all background noise to him by now. "I'm sure Franky will be coming in soon."

"Oi! Curly, where's the food?" As if summoned, the final component to the madness barged in, flipping his glasses up to survey the crowd. "I'm starvin'!"

The resulting break out of yells and groans due to Sanji bitingly informing them that dinner would not be ready for the next thirty minutes could've shaken the entire island. They all quieted long enough to agree that it was Luffy's fault, as per usual, and then the noise rose to another crescendo when Sanji caught the rubber man edging toward the pot of food again. Threats of no dinner and being tossed overboard hung heavy in the air.

Usopp glanced over at Amber to see her reaction, satisfied to see the usual fear, amusement, and overall confusion playing through her expressions, proving she was indeed a normal human being. He smirked once and jabbed a finger at his yelling and laughing crewmates. "Welcome to the crew, Amber."

"Is it bad I'm glad this is temporary?" she laughed, voice shaken.

"Nah." He went back to his gunpowder, content to work on it until dinner time. Assuming the kitchen didn't go up in flames first. "It just means you're normal."

* * *

Dinner, as expected, had turned into a circle event. With Amber present, everyone seemed in higher spirits – or at least ten times louder. Between Sanji constantly swooning over her figure and Luffy trying to coax her and the rest of them into dancing on the table, it was a miracle their ship remained in one piece. They always exploded into more chaos whenever they had guests over, Usopp noticed dryly.

At least the night watch remained generally quiet. New person aboard or no, they'd already set sail for the Sniper Isles, and it was Usopp's turn to keep an eye out until Zoro came to relieve him.

The job was made a lot easier by the dome-shaped hut keeping him safe from the chilly night air. One of Sunny's most endearing features, he personally thought. Merry would always hold a special place in his heart, but her crow's nest had been a thing of torture whenever sailing for a winter island.

Here in the comforting warmth of the ship, sleep was easier to beat off. Sanji had made good on his word and supplied Usopp with one of his favorite cheesecake desserts, plus a cup of hot chocolate, and the long-nose sighed in content from his seat on the floor.

Maybe he'd go grab his tools. Or his sketch book, if he felt in the drawing mood. But that would be later, for now he'd rather enjoy the silence and work to sort out his thoughts. Nami still had the upper edge in the Great Sniper Debate, a fact that worried him. Zoro and Franky had been in his grasp until that sly woman cattily informed them of their debts, promised to wipe them clean if they encouraged Usopp to compete and claim the prize, and it had gone downhill from there.

It would take them two days to hit the isles, so he had to come up with a damn good excuse for not competing in that time. _Hmmm, she probably won't go for the I-Can't-Dock-At-This-Island-Itis anymore…_

"Neh, Usopp?" An increasingly familiar voice called out before a brown head poked out from the ladder, eyes scanning the crow's nest. Usopp bit back a sigh of frustration. "Oh good, you're here!" Amber hoisted herself up, all smiles again. She'd recovered from tonight's dinner, apparently. "I'm sorry, I know you're busy so…" She stopped mid-sentence, blinking at him hesitantly. "Uh… is something wrong?"

Wrong? Nothing was wrong except his quiet had been interrupted, making it that much harder to think of ways to wriggle himself out of competing, what with the very reason he was stuck in this unfortunate situation hovering around him. But Usopp wasn't mean enough to say it to a stranger, so swallowed a huff and shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine! Did you need something?"

"Ha… you really don't like me, do you?" The unsurprised sadness in her words made Usopp flinch from guilt, wondering if his wariness was that painfully obvious.

"Hey, I never said I didn't like you!" And he hadn't; that wasn't a lie. It just… wasn't completely untrue, either. The danger shivers had yet to dissipate fully, though he now knew the girl to be generally harmless. Not in the strangest of circumstances would she pose a threat to the Straw Hats. Still - and Usopp couldn't put his finger on it either - something about her continued to make him uneasy.

But he wasn't so much of a jerk that he'd make a girl feel bad on purpose. "Don't worry about it. You're re--"

"Do you have a dream, Usopp?"

Okaaaaay. The sniper shot her a weird look, but contemplated the remark anyway. If it'd make her happy. "Well, of course. Who doesn't have a dream?" He grinned into his cup of hot chocolate still steaming up his face. "And I'll have you know I, Captain Usopp, have a dream fit for a warrior!"

Still hovering by the ladder, Amber inwardly wrestled with herself until finally asking, "Do you mind telling me what it is?"

"To become a brave warrior of the sea," he stated proudly, rubbing his nose. He had no reason to hide it. "Travel through the Grand Line and return back home with stories of my adventures!" The last part he tried not to dwell on _too_ often, as it still surprised him how the sudden thought of home and Kaya stung his insides with homesickness. It had really be a long time, hadn't it? Since he'd seen them.

If Amber noticed, she showed no indication. Her reply was a rather amused hum of appreciation that he almost mistook for teasing again. "It suits you, I think." She edged her way over, crossed her legs on the floor and settled into a more comfortable position. "Very non-confrontational."

Unsure of whether or not to take that as a compliment, Usopp struggled for something to say, but Amber wasn't finished yet. "I heard from Nami that your captain wants to be King of the Pirates. And Zoro wants to be the best swordsman in the world." She picked at invisible dust near her feet, eyes drawn to places Usopp couldn't follow. "Their dreams need them to trample on someone else's in order to get farther. But yours… all you need to do is get home and have stories to tell. Show them that you're a warrior of the sea." She sighed, chin buried in her folded arms. "It'd be nice if my dream was like that."

The melancholy note in her voice caught his attention again. "Oh… So your dream is…?" he asked quietly, curious and figuring it was only polite to ask in turn.

"To be the best sniper in the world." Once again, before Usopp could get a word in edge-wise, she cut him off and plowed through. "It's why I keep entering the Sniper Trials. To one day be King. I want the entire Grand Line to think of _me_ when they think of sniping. That's why…" She took a deep breath before abruptly turning to face him. "That's why I need you to enter the Sniper Trials, too!"

"Wha—me?" The sniper pointed at himself in honest confusion, to make sure this was not a bad joke. Her expression didn't waver. With such an intense stare being sent his way, he almost agreed so she wouldn't accidentally set him on fire. "Why _me_?" There were some major holes in her logic if she thought him joining the competition would somehow make her King.

A rush of blood colored her cheeks in shame, and she didn't meet his eyes. "… You were right before. I really did cheat with the dart board. I might've gotten eighty balloons without using the dial."

"Huh? Well, that's not bad at all!" It felt only right to encourage her, a light shoulder-pat included. "You saw Sanji, didn't you? He only hit maybe fifty."

"But Sanji's not a sniper," she pointed out with a thin smile. "He's a chef that likes to kick people. The fact he did that well for an amateur and I did that badly for a professional…" Keeping her tone light was starting to be a trial for her. Usopp could hear the cracks. "I know I'm not good enough yet."

He shifted uneasily next to her, fingers tightening against his cup. _So that's how it is. _For once, Amber started to make sense to him, and he couldn't help the rush of sympathy. A long time ago he'd felt the same way about his sniping skills, stuck in the niche between impressive and amateur. It was a depressing place to be in.

"That's why I need you to enter, Usopp." She'd regained some of her composure, eyes on him again. "I meant what I said. You're better than me. So if I can fight you… then I'll improve. I know I will!" Her gaze searched his face for any sign of agreement. "You don't have to pay anything to compete, and hardly anyone dies in the first two Hands. It'll take a week or so for the Log Pose to lock on the new island anyway, too." She sounded near-desperate by now, leaning in a fevered pitch. Usopp gulped and hastily leaned back. "I know this isn't your dream, and that it doesn't matter if you lose or win, but I need all the help I can get, and you're the only one I think I can ask!"

"J-just wait a second, Amber!" He placed his hands on her shoulders to hold her down. It was hard enough keeping up without the girl practically draping over him. "I'm no--"

"Please, Usopp! Even if you beat me, it'll help me fulfill my dream." Some of her vigor finally drained from her body, and she slumped back to a normal sitting position, by all accounts dejected and worn-out. "My dream's… all I have left." Her eyes closed. "I don't have a crew like you. Or a family. Or a home. Just this."

She stayed quiet after that, giving the silence a chance to actually thicken and for him to think without interruptions. He'd been ready to turn her down for a second time. He still wanted to, except those last words kept playing over and over in his head. The more he stared and squirmed from his own indecision, the more she looked like a lost little girl, and all his thought-out excuses died on his tongue. It was such a one-eighty from her usual cheer that he felt like the bad guy for considering it.

Damn. This would be a lot easier if he were Sanji. Taking the most chivalrous path was in the cook's job description. He'd give Amber a hug, whisper some really cheesy lines that should only belong in fairy tales, and everything would be solved. Or if he were Sogeking. Sogeking never left anyone in need, especially not a fellow sniper. There'd be no hesitance or worry.

But he wasn't a badass cook that charmed the ladies, he admitted with arms folded in stiff concentration, and there was no convenient mask for him to don. That left only a very unsure Usopp.

"… Eeeh." He sought her out with his eyes again, took in the expression flattened from disappointment, and scratched the back of his head. "I guess it can't be helped." He was almost certainly going to regret this later.

Startled, Amber looked up from the floor, apprehension and shy hopefulness dueling on her face. "I couldn't call myself a warrior if I did not help a fellow sniper in need," was the grave reply, nodding to himself and confirming the answer.

"…Thank you." The first signs of grateful tears burned the corner of her eyes. She hastily rubbed them away and bowed until her nose touched the floor. "_Thank you_, Usopp. I know how much you don't want to enter. I appreciate this so much."

The constant praise was almost too much for his ego to handle, causing him to sport a giddy grin. "Don't think I'll go easy on you," he cowed, chest pumped out. "I have over ten thousand techniques at my disposal. Maa, if you manage to figure out the secrets of even _ten_, I'll count you as my pupil!" He shot her a thumbs-up. "I'll give you a head-start, too! So you don't feel completely helpless when we meet on the battlefield," he announced graciously, since that was the type of guy he was. "It's known as the Tabasco Star! One of the deadliest shots known to man and monster! I use a secret special mixture, so anything it touches is set aflame. Taste buds don't stand a chance in front of its tremendous power!"

The girl smiled and then laughed at his explanation in a way that reminded him of Kaya, eagerly asking for more information even though knowing how effective a Tabasco Star really was, and for the first time since meeting her, Usopp relaxed completely and laughed with her. She wasn't so bad.

This was fine, he convinced himself. Nami and the others would've forced him into it anyway. This way he could pretend he'd had a choice in the matter.

When Zoro came stumbling up the ladder to relieve him, the swordsman raised a bemused brow at the two going on about some Evil Phoenix Army bent on destroying the entire Grand Line with their devilish curry bullets. They even managed to reel in Zoro's reluctant participation for five minutes before he finally kicked them out.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for all the favorites, you guys, and for the review I got! Hopefully I can make Amber interesting enough that she doesn't immediately turn people off from reading the fic. R&R, plz. I'd love any thoughts or criticism.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Beware: The worst opponents come in packs of three or five."_

_---------_

The woman watched him, blank, impassive, and extremely unimpressed, and pointed to the piece of paper laid out before her on the counter. "Name?" she drawled.

_Eeeh?! What? How can she not recognize this face?_ The bounty might've come out only weeks before, but he was fairly certain every man, woman and unborn child knew about his excellent sniping skills, not to mention impossibly devilish good looks. She must not have gotten a good look at him. The mask could be overwhelming the first time, he discovered sympathetically. _Maybe if I pose like this?_ Hand on the chin, ladies loved that. Sparkle a little, but not too m—

"_Name_."

Usopp coughed and cleared his throat. "Miss, you can put me down as…" A dramatic pause for effect. "_Sogeking_."

"Sir, we don't allow masks in the tournament." The receptionist flicked some hair back behind her shoulder and drummed an impatient pencil against the table. "Only the Royal Flush can wear masks without instant disqualification."

The only animation she saw was his jaw dropping and eyes bugging out. "What type of rule is that?!"

"King's orders." She shrugged an apathetic shoulder. "I didn't make the rules." With that, she glanced over his head at the growing line of questionable-looking individuals and yelled, "Next!"

"Wait wait wait wait hang on a sec!" Hastily, he pulled the mask off. "I still want to compete!"

… Actually, no. No, he didn't. What seemed like a good idea two nights before had slowly turned into a gut-wrenching nightmare. Already he'd run into a few half-giants stalking the grounds – why the hell would they want to snipe?! They just needed to sit on someone and instant victory! – some guys carrying an entire arsenal of guns on their persons, a few that had guns for _arms_, and just the nastiest, most vile type of pirates that Usopp swore ate kittens for breakfast and pissed out venom. _Those_ were the guys he had to beat. "Um, w-well, on second thought…" If the receptionist rejected him, this would be out of his hands, not his fault at all.

"Sogeking." The name was scribbled on the sheet in a nearly unintelligible scrawl before he could babble out the rest of his sentence. "Crew?"

"… Why would you--"

"Orders." She looked ready to smack him with her pencil if he didn't hurry it up. Usopp sighed and supposed there was no helping it. He was this far into the lion's den, anyway. Going back on his word would result in the wrath of Sanji and Nami, both of whom scared him ten times more than any monsters lurking on these islands.

"Uh…" But hey, maybe if he whispered it, no one else would hear. And they weren't _that_ notorious, right? Challenging the World Government… every pirate did that nowadays! Just like a fad. "Strawhat," he hissed quickly under his breath.

"… I didn't hear you. Speak up."

"S-s-strawhat."

Her eyebrows dipped in confusion. "Straw_hat_?" He nodded frantically, all the while gesturing for her to keep her voice down. "Alright. Stra--" She stopped, eyebrows now shooting up in sudden recognition, making Usopp swallow a thick ball of fear now lodged in his throat. Oh gods, a bounty bounty hunter in disguise. He knew himself to be widely sought after, but this was too much to handle right before a tournament.

He was given another, calculating glance this time, a grunt when she scribbled the crew down, and then a dismissive wave for the tent's opening. "You're down." A thoughtful pause. "Good luck, kid. Next!"

Now made official, Usopp allowed himself to relax in accomplishment and fret like mad as he skittered back outside, before his bounty hunter fan had a chance to change her mind. All in all, no different than usual. He even grinned when regrouping with the crew, though its effects were somewhat weakened, what with his legs wobbling like jello. "If only you had seen their awed expressions," he informed them all.

"Your mask is pretty special," Amber commented, her usual cheerful disposition making it difficult for Usopp to tell if she was pulling his leg. "But great!" She clapped her hands together. "We'll figure out who's participating in what Hand tomorrow. If you're lucky, you'll only have to fight in the second Hand instead of both."

"So what do we do now?" Zoro only half paid attention to the conversation, already scoping out their competition with a practiced eye out of habit – and perhaps for Usopp's benefit as well, though he was fairly sure the sniper's run-and-hide tactics would get him halfway through the fights before he needed to man up and take a shot at someone. "Stay on the ship until we get the results?"

"You guys might like the festival," Amber suggested, and started walking deeper into the crowds. "And there's tons to do, actually. The Sniper Trials bring in a lot of revenue for these islands, so it's treated like Christmas." She pointed, finger aimed at the familiar pier the Sunny had been docked at, and right next to it sat large ferry boats seated gently on the water. "The theme's different depending on which island you go to. The island we're on is called the King's Corner, and it's where all the rules and mumbo jumbo takes place."

"Ya, girly, but we can't leave Sunny alone in a place like this," Franky interjected, and the accompanying nods some of the others supplied were indication he hadn't been the only one thinking it. Snipers or no, they'd spotted some suspiciously rowdy-looking dudes already, dozens of pirate ships coming in to dock by the hour. Already the island seemed taken over by noise and obnoxious behavior, shouts and large egos; the streets and shops nearly burst from the abnormality of it all, and it was a surprise fights hadn't broken out yet. Pirates weren't known for being accommodating.

"Don't worry; your ship will be perfectly safe. This competition is pretty strict on rules, and no one is gonna touch your stuff unless it's… the..." It had grown suspiciously quiet, all of the sudden. Her words trailed off when she noticed a lack of conversation, turning her head around to make sure everyone was still following her. To her surprise, the entire Straw Hat crew stood frozen in place, gaping at a point over her shoulder. "Uh, guys?" she tried again nervously.

Usopp was a little too busy stuttering and pointing a shaking finger from behind Zoro to answer her. "M-M-M-M-M--"

"The hell?!" The swordsman's exclamation broke the spell and put everyone on defense. "Why are the damn Marines here?"

"Zoro, shut it! If they notice any of us…" Nami had already grabbed Luffy by the shoulder in case he tried something stupid. The rest of the group shuffled back a few steps. "This isn't good. We _have_ to get back to the ship now." She spared enough moments to shoot Amber an apologetic glance. "Sorry, but it looks like we'll be parting ways. We, uh, can't really afford to let them find us here."

"…Oh yeah, you guys wouldn't know." If that's all they'd been concerned with… she kept forgetting how little they knew of the situation, and waved away their anxiety attacks. "Of course there are Marines here."

The news was met with sagged relief, until Usopp bounced back with a savage yell. "Then why didn't you tell us?!" he screeched. "We're pirates if you didn't noti--" A mouthful of foot muffled the rest of his sentence.

"You wanna announce it to the whole damn island?" Sanji hissed, and lowered his shoe. "And what the Longnose means is we're not exactly on friendly terms, Amber-chan."

"No one really is. But this tournament is backed by the World Government." The collective gasps and dropped jaws made Amber shake her head. They really didn't know anything. "Think about it. A lot of famous snipers are pirates, right?"

Robin nodded in quiet agreement, relaxed, since she'd already come to the conclusion. "I see. They use this as a way of keeping track of notoriety. In exchange for information, the World Government will endorse the islands' competition."

"And the winners of the tournament get fame, fortune, and a bigger bounty," Amber finished for her. "Everyone wins. It's the reason no one's gonna touch your ship. The code of conduct is so strict that no one wants to mess up their chances. The Marines are here for show and to make sure no one takes out the Royal Flush. It would turn into a bloodbath if they were killed."

All except for Sanji, Usopp, Robin and Nami echoed in confusion, "Royal Flush?"

"It'll be better if you all just see," she laughed, and motioned for them to start following her again. "There's a festival where the court greets the competitors. If we hurry, we'll get good seats."

* * *

"Welcome, fellow snipers and piraaaaaaaaaaates~!"

A cheer rang out for whoever stood on the large stage settled in the middle of the island, surrounded on both sides by hooting crowds, and those unlucky enough to be stuck in the far back were still treated to a tiny frame that resembled more girl than woman, draped in a pink and orange joker's outfit and mic in her hand, shown proudly from the stage's massive screen projecting her image. She grinned, glowing from the attention and noise, and threw a fist in the air to get them all going one more time. Her blond ponytails ending in bells jingled with them. "My name's Michi and I'll be your announcer for this year's Sniper Triaaaaaaaaaaaals~!"

Positioned on her tiptoes, Amber just barely saw over the sea of heads, and beside her, Nami looked to be having as much trouble. "Awww. We didn't get the good seats."

"Is it a requirement to be super tall for these tournaments?" the navigator sighed, rolled her shoulders in a shrug, and then turned her eyes towards the screen. "Huuuuh, never seen something like that before." The announcer bouncing and posing in her excitement could be seen for miles, it looked like. "Well, we can still see what's going on."

"Nami-san, Robin-chwan, Amber-chan! Would you like me to hoist you up for a better look?" Sanji looked almost too excited by that prospect, even after all three of them gave him a negative response.

"You already knew what they were gonna say," Usopp muttered in confusion, shaking his head when the rejection did little to deter Sanji's influx of hearts. "Do you like getting put down?" Not that he cared, but he figured a man's pride could only take so much.

Sanji cast a withering stare, straightened and adjusted his tie. "A gentleman always asks," was the smooth reply.

"And it's the only action he sees," Zoro commented, which, hilarious though it was, Usopp really wished he hadn't said. Or had at least waited until he could remove himself from the danger zone. The resounding howl of pain and bruised cheek wasn't made better when Sanji guiltily stated "It's Zoro's fuckin fault." The swordsman, to his credit, picked him off the ground and snapped at Sanji to watch where he aimed.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! It's time to introduce this year's Royal Flush! The best of the best on the Grand Line!" All their bickering ceased in favor of the ceremony, though rather than hush up the crowds, the noise rose to another pitch of excitement. Michi didn't seem to mind she was near screaming despite being armed with a microphone. "First off, I'm sure some of you will recognize this funny lady! She holds the title of Joker, and has for the past four years!" More eager screams erupted.

Franky tapped his foot in impatience. "Naa, what is this? A pageant show?" Usopp wondered the same himself, watching whole groups of people point and wave like they hoped their favorite member might catch sight of them.

"The competition brings in revenue for the islands." Despite muttering it to Franky, Robin's voice cut through the overzealous yells. "I'm sure the winners are considered actual royalty to them."

Michi, bowing low to the floor, scrambled to the side of the stage. "It is my greatest honor to give you Lightning Luna!"

From behind the heavy red curtain, the outline of a figure burst through in an explosion of blinding light, small fireworks, and what appeared to be wind-up frogs. When the glow settled, a woman clad in florescent green pajamas decorated with little joker hats bounded forth, did a flip in the air, and then landed expertly on one hand, a painted red smile made much wider by her own grin of amusement. She flashed a peace sign with her free hand that sent the crowd into hysterics.

"… That's one of the Royal Flush?" Nami asked incredulously. Luffy and Chopper, standing beside her with eyes aglow, sounded much more impressed.

"So coooool!"

"Awesooooooome!" One of the toy frogs from the introduction managed to leap its way to the back crowds, mere feet away from him, and the captain scrambled to catch it. "I wonder if Sanji can cook it."

"Luffy, it's a toy." Zoro grabbed at the boy's shirt before he snatched up the offending item, but the frog leaped again, this time near the swordsman's foot, bellowing out a powerful ribbit. The man twitched awkwardly before deciding there couldn't be too much harm in picking it up for a closer inspection. "Pretty good for a toy." It felt real, too, squishy, and his thoughts echoed Luffy's previous question. Zoro gave it a gentle squeeze.

It must not have liked that. Something foul-smelling and slimy splashed on his face, up one of his nostrils, and Zoro released a strangled curse before flinging the frog into the distance. Luffy burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, it didn't like Zoro very much!"

"Be happy that's all it did," Amber warned them, carefully avoiding any of the toys that kept hopping around. "Last year she threw out gummi worms that exploded in your mouth if you ate them. We lost a lot of snipers before the tournament even started."

Usopp choked out a strangled noise, visibly disturbed, and all of the crew except Luffy checked their feet for signs of any more frogs. Chopper dragged a still displeased swordsman down for closer inspection, going on about injuring himself when a fight hadn't even broken out. "She looks goofy, but I've heard the only reason she hasn't climbed up in position is she likes being the Joker too much," the girl finished with.

Nami's body shook with a full shudder and shot Lightning Luna, who had taken up position on one of the five flashy thrones positioned on stage, a cautious, but then dismissive glance. "Just as long as she doesn't spit out lightning, Usopp will be fine," she stated confidently, and chose to ignore the boy's gurgled moan. Sanji patted his shoulder in deep understanding.

"Always the Joker, isn't she, guys? Try not to let the frogs spit in your eyes!" Michi took her time relishing the pained wails before she continued. "Next, I give you everyone's favorite impish Ace! At the ripe age of twelve, he stole the position last year, and is now the youngest member of the Royal Flush to date!" Michi pointed at the stage. "Blinding Bobby!"

The boy who strolled out wore no outlandish clothes besides the rugged cowboy hat perched on his head, the baggy jeans and red t-shirt an outfit that would be found on any child. He paid little attention to the crowd yelling at him as he made his way to a throne, arms tossed in boredom over his head, and draped himself on the edge of his seat. Usopp bit out a sigh of relief when he took note of the kid's weapon tucked in his pocket – a plastic slingshot. "Ha! That's it?" he muttered under his breath, already straightening up. _Ha, all I need to do is go against him first, and it's an easy win for Captain Usopp!_ Slingshots could be dangerous, but not in the hands of kids who had yet to hit puberty.

"Ha, a brat?" The snide remark came from an impossibly lanky and tall man standing a few paces away - some random, mouthy pirate who clearly spoke for attention instead of intellectual conversation - bellowing out a laugh and freely expressing his opinion on the revealed court member. "Did you see his weapon? Who the hell fights with a slingshot?! I could take him out right now!" Some of the men surrounding him joined his guffawing.

Usopp's back prickled from everyone's pointed stares on him, and sniffed in offense. And just what was wrong with a slingshot? It had saved _him_ on more than one occasion. But then, everything was considered a deadly weapon in his hands, from rubber bands to cannons, so he guessed the simpleton wouldn't understand.

He might have had more to say on the subject if the man's abrasive laugh hadn't stopped short like it'd been cut clean from the air, and his large body hadn't teetered dangerously in place until gravity dragged it to the ground. His crew scrambled backwards in confusion. The crowd hushed up, all eyes either on the fallen man or on Bobby, who now lowered his yellow slingshot and eased from an angry sharpness to his former mask of nonchalance. He followed up with a bored yawn.

No one dared say anything for a minute.

"… Well!" Michi at last broke the thick quiet by clearing her throat, stuck between amazed and excited. "That's why we call him Blinding Bobby, right? I'd like to see how many of you snipers could pull off a draw that quick!"

"I'm doomed." Usopp stared on, eyes comically wide by the sight of the bullet-like wound running with blood. "I'm doomed. I'm gonna die. Kaya," he started wailing, matching Chopper's insistent cries for a doctor, "remember me fondly!"

"Calm down, Long nose-bro," Franky insisted, possibly in vain. "He only hit a standing target. The guy wasn't even moving. If shooting's the only thing he's got going for him, you'll do fine."

"After that amazing display, it's going to be hard for our next royal member to top that! But I'm sure our lovely Jack can--" Whatever Michi wanted to say abruptly came to a halt. She blinked owlishly at the third chair, and everyone else followed her gaze to a redheaded woman robed in black lace, balanced delicately in her seat. Even with her face half concealed, it was plainly obvious that she hid a cold beauty underneath, regal, as though she were a queen worthy of notice, and the stare she sent the crowd nearly froze them in place. "T-there's a reason she's called Mira the Mirage! So fast she magically appears before your eyes! Let's greet her to the stage, competitors!"

Usopp's sobs rose a notch among the chorus of yells. "I didn't even see her come on stage…" They were all monsters. He had to go against monsters, by _himself_. Five of them! And they hadn't even gotten to the King and Queen yet!

"Mira-san! Luna-chan! Oh, I think they've stolen my heart!" Sanji spun eagerly in place, waved, and missed the way Nami and Usopp slapped exasperated hands to their foreheads. "Just imagine what the Queen must be like!"

"You're supposed to be cheering for me, Sanji!"

Zoro merely grunted at the cook's antics, face cleaned up and deemed injury-free, and now with Chopper riding on his shoulders. "It looks like dart brow's found his own kind now," he said, and the nod at the hordes of screaming girls did the rest of the talking for him. Luckily, Sanji was too busy fawning over his newest goddesses to notice the jab. Usopp didn't feel like getting kicked again.

"We're down to the last two now, the crown jewels of the tournament! It's time to now introduce this year's Queen, who has served on the Royal Flush for the past two years! This person needs no formal introduction, my friends!" Michi scooted even farther to the side, giving the center of the stage a wide berth. The reason for her actions became clear when a red carpet rolled through the curtain, straight down the middle, soon decorated by flashing lights from above, and Usopp took note of the crowd now hooting from laughter. "I give you, the Queen! June the Mighty!"

The reason behind the cackles strode out then, strutting like a male peacock, and foot after foot of gold, glittering royal garbs trailed behind. The corset and knee-high dress clung tightly against the frame, made even more pronounced by the hands perched arrogantly against the hips. Sanji's cigarette teetered on his gaping bottom lip, and then fell off while he tried expressing just what the sight had done to his fragile mind.

Beside him, Usopp made up for the silence and, like every other pirate around, nearly pissed himself in hysterics. "W-what is that?!" he howled, collapsing to the ground, and Sanji choked on a sob, wondering the same thing. Because that… that was not the gorgeous queen he'd envisioned. That wasn't a _queen_. He had no fuckin clue what that was, but he wanted the last thirty seconds of his life back.

"Ooooh, it's an okama," Luffy stated wisely, neck craned to the side for a better look. "Like that Bon-chan guy!"

Amber seemed less enthused with the display, and turned a deathly sheet of white when Luffy spoke. "No, no, he's not! I mean, I don't think so." She eyed the still modeling man waving regally at the hysterical but applauding audience. "He's been stuck in the Queen's position for years because he can't defeat the King. Everyone says he's been ordered to act that way."

"Huh? Really?" The sniper calmed down enough to look over once more at the man, who upon another observation, sported a face tinged red. Or he guessed it was red. It was hard to tell with all that makeup caked on. Still, he didn't seem _too_ upset with the attention the crowd threw at his feet like roses, and went as far as to flip his primped and permed orange hair behind him, to the delight of several groups of excited women. "Eh, still, shouldn't he at least wear something a bit more… flattering?" In his honest opinion, that corset made certain places… bulge more than they needed to. "Maybe if he covered his legs or something."

"Usopp, please tell me you're not being serious about this," Sanji groaned. His pride as a man was shaken enough just by watching this. He didn't need a fellow nakama giving a drag queen _dressing tips_. The implications made his head spin.

"I agree with Usopp," Nami piped in. "He's got pretty flabby legs."

_Not Nami-san too!_

"Naa, at least it's not a dress," Luffy stressed. "They're not good for running in!"

Robin didn't miss a beat. "I admit, they can be very bothersome." She smiled at her captain.

Zoro, who had been quietly observing the madness, turned to regard his captain in flat amazement, never mind Robin's easy acceptance. "… Luffy how do you--"

"Zoro, are you sure you want to know?" Usopp interjected. The first mate only needed to consider the statement for a moment before he shook a hasty negative.

There was a hiccup in the noise, long enough for Michi to squeeze her last announcement in. "Alright, it's the moment you've all been waiting fooooooooooooooor~!" She gestured to the fluttering curtain. "Of course saving the best for last. I introduce to you the man who has been our king for the past four years, the longest running King of Snipers since the tournament was founded!"

The excited hitch in her voice caught hold of the crowd and sent them into an uncharacteristic hush. All eyes turned towards the stage. Michi herself fell completely silent, mouth hanging open as though she'd forgotten her lines halfway through. The curtain rippled once, then opened, and Usopp felt the back of his neck break into a sweat…

Which, in quick retrospect, was probably due to the heat and thick mass of bodies clumped close to him. Because the rather skinny man who came out to stand before them hardly looked monstrous – he wore a purple king's robe that hung heavy over his shoulders, covered his front, and all facial features were hidden behind a simple decorated mask of white. Compared to other colorful individuals that made up the court, Usopp felt cheated. It was kind of a disappointment after the more extravagant entrances they'd just witnessed. He'd really been expecting the stage to blow up or anything equally outrageous. Perhaps the guy could shoot lasers out of his eyes and needed a mask to conceal it. After several seconds of nothing but standing, however, Usopp started to doubt that much.

"Amber," he muttered under his breath. "Is that…?"

"Yeah," she breathed, entranced for a different reason. "That's him."

The way her green eyes burned concerned him. That expression he'd never seen on her face in the short time he'd known her, and yet Usopp still couldn't help his skepticism. He turned to the crew for their reactions, vindicated when no one looked overly impressed.

And then that went challenged when large sections of the crowd, moving as one, fell to their feet and hands and bowed until their noses touched the ground, leaving the competitors and the nonbelievers standing. He gulped, suddenly unsure of what to believe.

* * *

**A/N: **I swear the next chapter will actually have action in it, on pain of death. Dx Thanks for the reviews and favs, guys! They keep me going! R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

_"Battles are bloody fearsome affairs." _

------

The first rays of morning sun barely penetrated the thick, dreary clouds overhead, streaming light through the treetops, and not for the first time did Usopp wonder if it might rain. He hoped not; walking through this godforsaken forest with snipers all after his head was enough of a nerve-fryer. If he ended up dying, he wanted his corpse to at least look good, and not like a wet dog that had drowned in the river. Not only was it not _cool_, it was hardly the type of death a warrior such as he deserved. He'd gone up against the World Government and lived! That had to count for something. Any death that didn't include being struck down by the hand of God – Enel not withstanding - Whitebeard, or going up in a blaze of glory bore the mark of embarrassment and wasn't worth the tale.

He managed to think all of that with a straight face while his legs rattled below and his eyes watered.

_Why did I agree to this?! _He blamed the cook. Had to. Nevermind Sanji had been the only one besides Chopper willing to back him in case he chickened out at the last second. But when Amber had visited him that night, he'd been channeling the Ero-cook's chivalry. There could be no other reason. He had more self-preservation than this, that's why.

Well, he also had hoped to be wearing his Sogeking mask, ride the coat tails of his alter-ego's success as it were, but since that plan had been kicked in the balls, the sniper was left to his own devices and source of courage, which, sadly, did not amount to much.

He couldn't even hold a conversation with Sogeking either, nervous as he was, and still had trouble deciding if that made him insane or just really pathetic.

A tree branch snapped nearby and Usopp choked on his breath, three years of his life gone in an instant. They didn't come back when he realized the sound had resulted from his own blundering steps. The branch in question was given a scathing glare before he gingerly continued on for… oh hell, he didn't know.

The other forty-two snipers hiding in the forest wouldn't have to kill him. He'd be rolling in his grave within the next twenty minutes, dead from a case of "can't-handle-scary-forests disease", if he didn't get it together.

"C'mon, Captain Usopp. Don't give out now!" His grip tightened unconsciously on his weapon. The crew and Amber were counting on him to make it to the second Hand. Losing could not be an option; that simple. So all he needed to do was win. As long as he kept repeating himself, it was bound to come true, he figured.

And for extra an extra boost he imagined the look on Nami's face if he were to lose or die, and that added some confidence behind his footfalls. Really, no reason to be afraid when you lived with a sea witch.

At least the goal was simple and straightforward enough. Usopp already had a master plan formulated, foolproof, one he felt every right to be damn proud of: snipe five people and then run like hell. That last part in particular he looked forward to. Maybe if he aimed at suspicious-looking bushes, luck would aid him and take out some opponents. Just one. Or two! Two free shots and he'd get his act together, he swore to the heavens. Besides, they owed him for making him suffer through two Hands instead of just one.

So busy praying to the sniper gods that he felt, rather than heard, the first shot to the face, one that barely connected. He only noticed when a sting brushed his cheek, drew a thin line of blood, and left Usopp wondering for a split second if that had been a warning shot or just bad aim. Then came the second shot that he _did _pick up on, the barest sighs of a release from a weapon, and he decided he didn't really care what the shot had meant.

They'd found him.

Usopp turned into hasty about-face, clung to Kabuto, and skipped to part two of his plan, screaming bloody murder all the while.

* * *

"Neh, Amber-chan." Sanji held back a yawn and pointed to the large screen from yesterday, shuffling on his feet to keep his body awake. "Would you mind explaining what's going on?" Regrettably, rather than the perky announcer in her cute joker suit, around fifty large red dots swarmed in front of him with a timer positioned on top. It read an hour and thirty minutes, counting backwards. As far as interesting went, Sanji came close to mimicking the shithead and taking a nap, if this was all watching the shit tournament would amount to. The only thing he felt worthy of notice was how a dot randomly vanished now and then, just gone, and an uncomfortable hunch settled in the pit of his stomach. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they represented, but he wanted confirmation.

"They're the snipers. Each one is wearing some radio device that emits a signal. If a sniper is killed or the device is ripped off, they disappear and have lost the first Hand." Despite the levelness she spoke with, Amber looked decidedly fretful, eyes clawing through the red dots for Usopp's. He wondered if she could tell. "But it's weird. Last year the announcer did a commentary so we'd know what was going on. They even had video footage." She brought a finger to her lip and chewed ruefully on the nail. "I really want to see how Usopp is doing."

He watched her worry, feeling quite a bit empathetic to her plight, and looked back at the screen himself. Another dot disappeared. "It's Usopp. Don't worry. The guy pulls through in a pinch." He said it mostly for her benefit, not wanting their lady friend's image of their sniper soiled, and from the corner of his eye he swore he witnessed a dozing Zoro give a nod of agreement. He'd been the only one to come with him – probably to sleep in a little longer without justifiable harassment from Nami-san or their captain dragging him through the island on a quest for adventure - the rest of their crew doing a checkup on Sunny and finding some supplies. Leaving the ladies with just Franky, Chopper, and Luffy on an island full of shitty pirates gave him cause to worry, but he trusted Amber-chan's judgment and let himself be dragged to cheer their sniper on.

Another dot blipped out of sight. Sanji pulled out his cigarettes; he sensed he'd need them for this. And so help him, he ground out, if Usopp got his shitty ass banged up when he couldn't drag him out of trouble and made Amber-chan worry…

"O-ouch, stop pushi—oh, hey, is this thing on?" He and Amber started as the voice of god, who was apparently a woman, spoke through the warm air. Then another second of silence before what reminded him of the damned Usopp Noise Attack split his eardrums in two. "Ack! Sorry about that, folks!" The fingers-on-a-chalkboard noise thankfully ended, and god's cheery voice picked up where it had left off. "Now, let's get things started, shall we? We're running a little late and missing all the juicy biiiiiiiiiiiiiits~!"

"Took her long enough." All at once the apprehension left Amber's face, and she turned to Sanji with a relieved grin. "You'll see what I mean in a second. We'll be able to watch Usopp kick their asses!"

Shit. _She looks so cute cheering him on_! He could only chuckle thinly and returned her smile, convincing himself that keeping the truth to himself wasn't _technically_ trampling on her hopes. As a gentleman, he had to uphold that smile for as long as possible.

Right then, the dots on the large screen fizzed into static and noise. "For all those of you with short attention spans, my name's Michi and I'll be your announcer this year! Let's get along, okay?" One could literally hear her wink at the audience – "Of course Michi-chwaaaaaan!" – and smooch at the microphone. "In a second, you'll all be treated to front row seats as the carnage flows!"

"… Carnage?" Sanji stopped his dance mid-jump. The uneasiness in his stomach exploded ten-fold. "This is a _sniper_ competition."

"Ha, you've obviously never met some of the more hardcore snipers, have you?"

"Now, here are the rules, fellow pirates and civilians! Snipers are randomly put into one of two Hands. First Hand dukes it out, and the two winners get to be added to the second! And to win the first Hand, all they have to do is take out a minimum of five snipers and be one of the last two standing when the timer runs out! In the event we have more than two snipers with five kills, they'll have to fight to the death for those spots, if you know what I mean~!"

The screen finally flickered into a real picture. Sanji had no idea what was taking the shots, but it must've been airborne seeing as it swooped in closer, skimming the treetops before taking a deeper dive. Then the image blinked out of existence and returned to the dots continuing their paths through the forest; except unlike last time, he realized with growing dread, they appeared far less… spread out. In fact, the majority formed this giant cluster trailing a lone dot that sped its way to the right hand of the screen.

"Hmm… well, this is interesting." Michi voiced all their thoughts, and something creaked loudly – a chair? – when she presumably leaned forward for a better look. "The dots represent each sniper's radio signal and show their position in the forest. So… it looks like one sniper is about to be taken out! Poor thing! Didn't even get a chance to strut their stuff!" The announcer cackled in amused glee. "Let's zoom in to see how long he laaaaaaaaaaaasts~!"

Another round of crackling and fizzing as the image struggled to come through. Sanji found he couldn't swallow the nervous anticipation lodged in his throat. The cigarette pressed against his lips rolled to and fro, back and forth, his one eye always on the screen for any hint, _any_. Anything to convince himself that his imagination was running off like Usopp's stories often did, that the stupid shit knew how to take care of himself for once, and then at last _something _surfaced through all the gray, black and white zigzags.

They heard the high-pitched screams vibrate through the microphones before they saw the clear picture. Like he'd been summoned for battle, Zoro snapped to his feet, wide awake, a hand on his sword and head craning every which way for signs of danger. "What the--"

Amber ever so slowly turned to face Sanji, a giddy, excited smile frozen on her face. "… Is that…"

"And we have an image, folks! Whoooo, look at that guy go! And what is he--- Let's see if we can get an ID on him!"

The cook couldn't look away. Oh how he wanted to, the embarrassment wasn't worth this type of pain, but a wide range of emotions had rendered him speechless and unable to swear properly. It took a confused and drowsy Zoro to mutter what he and the shell-shocked Amber couldn't wrap their mouths around:

"The hell is he doing?"

* * *

Usopp didn't know what the hell he was doing, beyond running for his life. Clearly the least effective method for getting his five snipes in, but in his defense, he hadn't expected his pursuer to bring _friends_.

Those few bullets that had prompted his jog across the island had led to more, then many, until Usopp swore the bastard forest was pointing out his location to every sniper in vicinity. Standing still had ceased to be an option. Being quiet had stopped making a difference a long time ago. No matter where he ran or how much he tried to choke back his screams, he could sense the bullets and pellets whizzing at his head, along with the explosions warming his back as the more powerful projectiles met with ground.

He only looked back once at the resulting firestorm. It spurred him on to speeds he'd forgotten he could reach.

"You're not supposed to gang up on one sniper!" he wailed behind him, and the answering cry of more ammunition being shot sent him running into overdrive. "This is cheating, you assholes!" Muffled laughter echoed through his surroundings and he swore again.

A damn good thing Amber and his nakama weren't watching this.

_This isn't getting me anywhere_! Morbid reality dictated that a bullet would catch in him the back sooner or later, either because he'd trip over a tree root or lose too much stamina, but there was no time to devise a scheme that would turn this around. Lady Luck had left him for dead today, with no nakama to call on for backup. And while fighting alone was not a new concept, his chest hitched at the realization that no aid would come for him this time, no matter how much he screamed or ran. That is what it meant to fight alone.

But he couldn't dwell on his woes. Not yet. First he needed somewhere to hide and catch his breath for a second, he decided hurriedly, or just so he could stop being the official bull's-eye in plain sight of everyone… The hell were all these snipers hiding anyway?!

Alright, alright. Time to consider his options. Trees? Plenty of them around, ripe for climbing. Eh, but no, while he could outrun everyone in a heartbeat, he wouldn't make it halfway up the trunk before he got taken out. What about a hole? Yeah, because there would be a _human-sized hole just waiting for him to jump into._

Another bullet grazed his shoulder, ripping his new jacket he bought yesterday, which he'd have to lament over properly when he caught a moment to breathe. For now it startled him enough that he practically flung himself to the side with a yell, and tripped over his two feet and into a tree. Falling on his bottom turned out to be a damn good thing, however, because once his eyes uncrossed from dizziness, blow darts decorated the innocent trunk.

Yeah, a really good thing his nakama weren't watching this. They'd never let him live down the distinctly unmanly howl he let loose as he scrambled to his feet and ran for cover.

* * *

"… Blow darts." Sanji hoped they'd disappear if he blinked hard enough, but no, still there. He slapped a hand over his eye. "They're shooting blow darts at him." Weren't those laced with poison or something?

"And bullets…" Amber's shoulder slouched the longer she watched. "… spears… was that a pencil?" The screen flickered for a close-up. "Yep. Pencils."

"IS THAT EVEN ALLOWED?"

Zoro looked ready to say something as well, but after he witnessed said writing utensil being lodged into a tree trunk from the speed and force alone, he instead placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and kept a tense silence. The clock ticked on, an hour left.

* * *

And five minutes later, the Great Captain Usopp nearly lost his life to a pen.

Which might later make for a good story if he added the right theatrical flair, but this wasn't the time for it; forcing himself to breathe through the sudden, sharp pain emitting from his right shoulder proved taxing enough. He almost ran into another tree. Yet with some pride he kept the groan between his teeth from going airborne when he reached back and yanked it out, eyes almost departing from his sockets _because what sick bastard sniped with pens?_ People used pens to create art, not backstab innocent competitors with! The artistic snob in him called out sacrilege and promised pai-- oh gods, it was covered with his _blood_. His poor, innocent blood, and a miracle that hadn't hit bone. Sobbing freely, he threw the offending item to the ground and resumed looking for anything, _anything_ to hide behind.

His pride hadn't sheltered him from the knowledge that if the pen had been aimed just a little to the left, he'd be out of the competition. These bastards didn't just want his radio device.

He really _would_ die soon without a plan.

Somehow, that made it easier to force back his edging fears and get down to business. Apprehension and worry took the backseat, and with vigor renewed he darted between the foliage, eyes on high alert for a miracle. Damn, what he wouldn't do for that impossible human-sized hole right now. Or even better, a cave. Though what cave would be doing in the middle of a forest with no cliffs or a mountain, he thought while looking up--- oh wait.

"Is that a…?" How the hell did he miss something that obvious earlier? Redirecting his goal, he chose to blame Zoro. It seemed like the most appropriate course of action.

* * *

"ACHOO!" (1)

"Watch where you aim, Marimo! If you get Amber-chan sick…"

"It's fine, Sanji. And look, I think Usopp is heading for the…"

* * *

It only took a few moments before he was upon it, a large face of rock that ran through the center of the woods. Not overly tall or deep upon inspection, but just maybe with enough luck there would be… ah _hah_. He had to squint hard to make out a hidden mouth surrounded by shrubs and bushes, nestled against the cliff face, but there was no mistaking it. The sniper almost stopped in his tracks for a better look, except that would be suicidal, so settled for an abrupt pivot and made a beeline for his newly acquired sanctuary.

Perfect. If he stayed in there until the timer ran out, there was no chance anyone could catch him off-guard. They'd have to enter the cave from the one opening, where he'd be waiting with a few well-placed star shots, he thought with a (for once) positive grin splitting his face wide.

And had he panicked? Of course not! Oh, if only his nakama could see him in his full glory now. He'd make sure to relay his accomplishments in full detail for their benefit. How he'd single-handedly taken out every sniper in the woods, with one bullet, no doubt! But why did he have five transmitters then, Nami and Robin, even Zoro, would ask in dazzled amazement. Why, being the benevolent warrior he was, he'd only knocked them out. The shame of their total defeat at his hands and Kabuto would be punishment enough. Oh, Usopp, you're so amazi—

Something surged behind him in a ripple of heat and suppressed fire, until it expanded up and outward. It caught him mid-run, lifted his body, and a scream struck the back of his throat when he found himself suddenly airborne and tossed like a rag doll. He distantly felt his skin warming over into the throes of dangerous discomfort, which only barely distracted him from the explosive boom that had vibrated down his spine, and _that_ did nothing to divert his thoughts when he finally crashed into the unyielding earth on his side. Broken ribs for sure, he decided tiredly, fighting not to black out.

But still, a moment of insight informed him how much more painfully that explosion could have gone, had he been trapped in a cave with no way out. Grudgingly, he agreed with the rest of his brain.

* * *

"Ooooooooooouch~! The Longnose is gonna feel that in the morning! Assuming he even gets up!" Some of the growing audience chuckled, though they wisely shut up and backed away when under the heat of two sets of fierce glares.

The bitch of an announcer, Zoro thought with clear annoyance after scaring off a group of idiots, had a very unhealthy fixation on his crewmate's suffering, as they'd been tailing him since the beginning. He didn't mind the update on Usopp's performance – wasn't he supposed to eventually shoot someone, though? – but all the high pitched squeals increased the chances of him taking out the microphones. He hadn't yet because now clearly wasn't the time to aggravate the Ero-cook, even with a reason as good as his. He'd caught the hunched shoulders and anxious shuffle after the explosion, and the swordsman briefly wondered if he'd try interfering somehow. Muffled curses about bazookas coming from Amber's covered mouth showed her to be handling the blow just as well as Sanji.

Well, that left it up to him to stop them if they tried anything. Annoying, but necessary, he decided. Usopp had walked into the competition knowing full well the dangers; this was his battle to fight through. Any man of the sea who sailed under a pirate flag knew that much, and the first mate held too much respect for his fellow Strawhat to cheapen that resolve with a rescue. Waiting for him to return was the only job they had now, as long as the competition continued fairly.

And he would come back, Zoro assured himself, taking a seat on the grass with a gruff sigh. Because frankly, they had already lost their sniper once, and that was one too many times.

* * *

For all the aches and pains, getting to his feet was the easy part. It certainly hurt, but once he straightened his tattered legs and kept himself from toppling over, he stayed up. Warming back into a full-blown run took the most effort. His joints screamed and his bruised body cried until Usopp bitingly notified it that they'd been through worse, if four ton bats rang any bells, so it needed to shut up and get moving.

Which it did. But only after he almost took a bullet to the ass. Sniper bastards.

The wobbliness of his vision made taking off in a straight line a bigger problem than it needed to be, enough that he chose to be grateful that he wasn't concerned with actual sniping just yet. Right now he had to concentrate on getting to that cave and—

And what, Usopp. _And what?_ He growled, discouraged by the revelation he'd had earlier, but nevertheless forced himself to keep up the pace despite knowing what good it would do him unless… He looked down at his bag filled with ammunition. Well, he had nothing else to go on, did he? It was time to start gambling. Hand digging into his arsenal bag, he prayed he hadn't forgotten the one bullet that could maybe get him out of this mess.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Apprehension clouded his mind until fingers flexed over the familiar texture of a star shot - jeez, it just had to be at the bottom of the bag, didn't it? - and wrestled it out and into Kabuto's sling before he turned sharply, feet skidding against the dirt and rocks to a stop. He snapped his goggles on over his eyes.

One shot. Once he raised Kabuto into position, the sling was pulled back as far as possible. Through his lenses he clearly made out another wave of ammo coming for him, and swallowed both the round lump of apprehension clogging his throat and the burning pain from his aching body.

One shot, Usopp. So _don't miss._

"Super Smoke Star!" And all at once, his world turned a foggy gray.

* * *

"The… what just happened?" They could hear their announcer shuffle around whatever confined space she sat in. "Hey, heeeeeeeeeeey! Can we get a clear picture?" To the audience, she lowered his voice in regret. "My sincerest apologies, folks! It looks like the longnose kid let out a smoke bomb. Pretty clever, but if he thinks an amateur trick like that is gonna save him, he's got another thing comiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin~!"

"What is he thinking?" Amber pulled at her hair and groused at the screen, which had been forced to switch from the forest floor leaking clouds of murky smoke to the swimming dots. "Going into that cave is suicide! All someone needs to do is throw in an explosive! His body can't handle another one!"

"He'll be fine, Amber-chan," Sanji restated, though admittedly looking less sure than before as he searched for Usopp's dot. Proof enough of the trick's success were the cloud of dots halting their advancement, but already a few trickled to the lone dot retreating farther right.

Where he was damn sure the cave was; a place the sniper didn't need to be trapped in, especially following that last explosion. He ground his teeth on the filter. "Damn it, Usopp!"

"Just wait a second, curly." Zoro's eyebrows bunched together, but otherwise the same mask of focused calm cleared his features. "Give him some time. He'll come up with something."

The cook frowned and only let the nickname go unchallenged because he knew, grudgingly, that the marimo had a point. Usopp lacked the monstrous power of the crew, but he made up for it with creativity and deadly aim. A few seconds were all he'd need to get the job done, so he forced himself to not wince when a total of four dots collided with what he presumed to be Usopp's.

"Zoro!" Rubber arms circled the man's neck, soon followed by a body that slammed into him. The swordsman fought back a choke. "How's Usopp doing?" Luffy turned his grin to the screen. "Has he won yet? Why are there dots?" His grin edged off into thoughtfulness. "They don't look like Usopp."

"That's because they're a representation, Luffy," called out Nami. She and the rest of the crew filed in behind him, all looking up at the flickering picture. "Let me guess. He's one of the ones on the right," she guessed reluctantly, for which Sanji didn't blame her.

Baffled, Luffy tilted his head in further confusion before his eyes grew bright with recognition. "Oh, so they're mystery dots!"

"Close enough, Strawhat," Franky muttered.

"Aaah! The dots!" Their distressed doctor shook a hoof at the screen. "They're disappearing!"

"They're supposed to do that," Sanji explained. "Except Usopp's." They'd have a very dire situation on their hands, if his vanished.

Though somewhat reassured by that, Chopper kept staring uncertainly. "Which dot is Usopp?"

Amber's gasp kept Sanji from further explaining. Alarmed, he turned to see what had startled her, and was treated to the sight of four dots on the right side rapidly disappearing. Breathing sharply through his nose, he groped for another cigarette while forcing his voice into a semblance of calm.

"We don't know yet."

* * *

**A/N: **I should issue a formal apology to Usopp; he actually wasn't supposed to get hurt in this chapter at all. And then he did... and I kept going. Whoops.

(1) - I really do not like sticking in notes during a story - holy crap that breaks flow - so for the instances I think it's necessary, footnotes shall be added. Anyway, for anyone who has never seen the gag before, sneezing is supposed to be a sign that someone's thinking/talking about you. XD Yeah.

One last thing. I don't know if I'm gonna keep up the randomly switching POVs, to be honest, so I wouldn't mind some feedback on that? Considering that a lot of the story is gonna take place with Usopp being separated from the rest of the crew, it's important I figure out a system now. So! If you think it's fine, tell me. If you have suggestions, that would be great, too. I just want to make sure the readers gets a taste of the Straw Hat's reaction to the tournament as well.

R&R!


End file.
